Another Day
by generalquistis
Summary: Sequel to "If You're Not the One"... Tifa leaves AVALANCHE and meets a person with amnesia... so she helps him... who is this person?
1. I think I'll go home now

Another Day

**_(Sequel to: If You're Not The One)_**

By: General Quistis

**_Disclaimer_**_: I don't own anything… the song Another Day is by a Filipino group "Mojofly"…_

**_Author's_**_ **Note**: I've been playing this song on my guitar and singing along with it because I can relate to it, wondering if I can sing this song the next time I had to perform on-stage… but to free my soul from my little problem whether to tell my significant other how much I love him or not to tell him at all before it's too late, I just decided to do something about it and I came up with this…this is something like a songfic. Though at first I can't decide whether it's supposed to be a Cloud+Aerith or an Elena+Reno or even a Reeve+Scarlet…and even thought of it as a Seifer+Quistis for Final Fantasy 8, well, since the first couple that came into my mind was Tifa+Rufus… well, here goes… _

_Please, take time to read it… and I hope you review it as well…_

**_Thank you:_**_ To ShinRa Bleeding Beauty for the help… get well soon, dearie! ;_;_

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_I think I'll go home now_

It's been the greatest day… 

            "Yeah… I think I'll go home now…" Tifa thought silently as she took one last look at everyone.

"You're going now?" Vincent asked her.

She nodded uneasily without saying anything, but it amazed the others that even if her eyes reflected unexplained sadness and disappointment, she could still smile at them cheerfully.

"Where will you be staying?" Cloud asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know… maybe I'll just be roaming around for a while," she replied.

He nodded and turned away. 

"What about you, Cloud?" she asked, getting his attention again.

He turned back to her without saying anything.

"Are you visiting the lake where you left Aerith?" she asked.

He was sort of surprised by her question, but he nodded anyway.

She smiled gently. "Say my regards to her, will you?" she asked.

Cloud smiled slightly and nodded. "Sure," he told her.

With that, she turned to Barret and Yuffie, "Bye. It's been nice knowing you…" she said.

"Just remember, Teef, we're always here for you," Barret said with a wink.

She nodded sadly.

Yuffie sprinted to her and hugged her tightly. "We're going to miss you," she said sadly.

Tifa fought back the urge to cry as she hugged her friend back. After which, she let go and turned to Vincent, waving goodbye. He nodded in farewell before she finally turned away and started to walk.

She took a deep breath and a heavy but miserable smile escaped her lips. "It's been a long day…" she muttered. "Also… a great day, I guess… because we finally beat Sephiroth…" she thought silently with a victorious smile on her face as she passed by the ruined ShinRa building.

Memories began to flood her brain.

_Thank you for shedding life to my fantasy._

"_I wonder what kind of person is he…"_ she recalled herself asking that question.

She stared at the ruins and found herself longing for something… and soon, she realized that she was missing someone who was not supposed to be worth missing at all…

And she began to recall herself thinking secretly, what if she had fallen in-love with him instead of Cloud? "Oops… wrong term Tifa… you did not fall in-love with Cloud… you had a stupid childish crush on him!" her conscience scolded her. She just shrugged and sat down for a while, just staring at the ruins. "And since I don't have any idea where to go, I guess I'll stay here for a while… maybe now that there are no more Sephiroths to kick around, I can continue daydreaming about him…" she thought with an inspired smile on her face.

_Throw me your wicked smile_

_The one like yesterday_

_That threw me up and away to the evergreen._

            He would smile at all of them like he owned them or something… like he controlled the whole Planet…an arrogant smile which made her more confused… 

Knowing she should hate him further… but deep down inside, she knew she couldn't.

With that, she felt disappointed. "Anyway, you're dead," she muttered before standing up and dusted her skirt before taking one last look at the ruined building. She walked away, humming a tune (which happens to be her theme).

Unfortunately, she wasn't looking at where she was going so she accidentally passed by an area with ruined bricks and cement with jagged edges and eventually ended up having a nasty gash on her left thigh. "Ow…" she reacted as she bent down a little to check on it. It was bleeding badly. "Uh-oh…" she muttered under her breath.

Two thoughts filled her mind: go and find Barret and the others for medical assistance or just go to the nearest hospital for treatment. "I don't know where they went… better head for the hospital…" she thought miserably as she staggered all the way to the nearest hospital… which was already in Kalm. "I'm gonna be dying because of loss of blood here…" she thought, looking at her reflection from the glass door of the hospital and saw that she was already beginning to turn pale. She got inside the hallway to the emergency room and a nurse immediately got up from her station to assist her, "Oh my goodness… what happened to you?" the nurse asked.

Tifa smiled weakly. "Carelessness… wasn't looking at where I was going so this jagged-edged dirty rock-looking thing caused it…" she said sheepishly.

The nurse immediately got a wheelchair that was parked in one corner and let Tifa sit down. "Come here I'll take you to the E.R… and get you a nice doctor. I think you might also need tetanus shots for that," the nurse said.

"What?" Tifa asked, her eyes widening in sudden shock.

"Well… who knows, you said it's dirty." The nurse told her before pushing the wheelchair with Tifa on it to the Emergency Room itself. She twitched her nose when the odor of disinfectant filled her nose. The nurse assisted her in standing up and in sitting down on one of the beds. "Hold still, I'll just call the doctor," she told Tifa with a gentle smile on her face before running off.

Tifa sighed heavily and cringed at the sight of her own blood on her thigh. "Ick…" she muttered disgustingly before looking around the whole room. It was pretty big and it was a little noisy because of the sound of people coming in and out… wounded people, unconscious people, doctors, nurses, outpatients… children crying and wailing.

Though there were only a few.

Tifa scanned the other patients seated and lying down on the other beds and one of them caught her attention when she saw his features and his ruined white outfit. She saw some nurses and doctors approaching that certain patient. "What do you mean he can't remember anything?" one of the doctors demanded.

"He has amnesia," the other doctor announced with a grim look on his face.

"How'd he get in here?" one of the nurses asked.

"We just found him outside in the parking lot and he was walking. He was bleeding to death! I asked what his name was, and he just looked at me and said that he didn't know and can't remember anything. He must've bumped his head or something…" one of the doctors replied.

"Could it be…" Tifa thought, feeling her heart beating faster.

"Where did he come from?"

"I don't know. Maybe from somewhere far away…"

"Does he have an I.D. card or something?"

"He doesn't even carry a wallet." 

"Well how will we know who he is? Did you try checking his fingerprints and comparing it with the others from all sorts of places like Midgar?"

"Yeah… but ShinRa kept all the files of the people in Midgar… the database got ruined when ShinRa exploded some weeks ago,"

Tifa stopped listening to the conversation when the nurse who assisted her arrived with a female doctor. "Sorry if I took so long, dearie," the nurse apologized.

The female doctor smiled gently at Tifa. "I had other patients but don't worry, I still have time for you," she said as she started to put on surgical gloves.

"How much will this cost me?" Tifa asked.

"No charge. This is the charity ward," the doctor said. "You can call me Dr. James. What's your name, young lady?" she asked.

"Tifa Lockheart," Tifa replied as Dr. James and the nurse began to treat her wound. 

"It's a little deep… but I can guarantee you, it'll heal fast," Dr. James told her reassuringly.

"I hope so…" Tifa thought silently with a worried look on her face.

Fifteen minutes later, Tifa can already walk, but the Doctor advised her to just stay in the E.R. for a while and rest.

She remained seated on the bed, and upon remembering the patient with amnesia, she turned to the direction where he is. She saw that he was already wearing the white hospital gown and that his wounds had already been treated. There were also some bandages wrapped around his upper head. He was lying down, his blue eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling.

Tifa smiled cheerfully and walked carefully to him. As she approached him, he instantly turned his gaze to her, narrowing his eyes as he stared at her carefully, examining her from head to toe, "Do I know you?" he asked.

Tifa's smile widened as she blushed slightly. She felt like a dorky school girl. "Uh… yes, I guess so…" she replied uneasily.

He sat up carefully and shook his head. "Then you must know me," he told her.

Before Tifa could answer, a doctor approached them, "Miss, better stay away for a while. He's got amnesia… don't wanna confuse him,"

Tifa turned to him. "It's okay, Doctor, I know him," she said.

The doctor stared at her unbelievably. "You know him?" he asked.

Tifa nodded and turned back to the patient, scanning his disheveled blond hair. "His name's Rufus." She declared.


	2. ILU don't even know how to say it

Another Day 

By: General Quistis

**_Disclaimer_**_: I don't own anything…… the song Another Day is by a Filipino group "Mojofly"…_

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_Like a spiral staircase_

Down I go, losing every step 

            "_I'll take care of him, don't worry,"_ She could recall herself telling the doctor.

She held his hand tightly as they slowly walked out of the hospital five days later. But she had to buy him new clothes, and she got him a brand new black turtleneck sweater and white trousers. 

He looked around, observing his new surroundings. "You told the doctors that my name's Rufus Gainsborough?" he asked her with a look of wonder on his face.

"No, actually, you are Rufus ShinRa." She pointed out.

"ShinRa?" he asked.

"I had to fib or they'll kill you…" she told him.

"Why?" he asked.

Tifa wasn't sure if she should really tell him everything. "If he starts remembering… he'll hate me… I don't want that to happen… but… I don't want to be selfish… I don't want him to be like this…" she thought miserably as she scanned his innocent-looking blue eyes. 

Innocent-looking?

She turned her head away from his direction and smiled secretly. "He looks cuter with that wicked look on his face…" she thought silently.

"What's your name again?" he asked.

"Tifa Lockheart." She replied, turning back to him again with a cheerful look on her face.

He nodded, looking at the ground and frowning slightly. "Sounds familiar, though…" he muttered.

_I.L.U. don't even know how to say it_

_When will it break?_

            She saw him flip his hair and gaze up at the late afternoon sky. "Why can't I remember anything?" he asked with a deep frown on his face.

"Do you remember the Diamond Weapon?" she asked.

"No,"

"What about the explosion?" she asked.

"What kind of explosion?" he asked.

"In your office… everyone thought you were dead…" she trailed off, continuing with a silent thought, "…including me…"

Rufus shrugged. "Why should I even be dead?" he asked.

"Because… because of the explosion… it ruined the building…" she trailed off when he slid off his hand from hers and touched his head.

"Are you okay, Rufus?" she asked with a look of concern in her eyes.

Rufus cringed a little. "M…my head… is… aching…" he told her with a look of agony on his face.

She instantly assisted him, grabbing his arms for support so that he wouldn't fall as he somewhat started to stagger. 

_Today is gone, but tomorrow will be okay…_

_I'll wait another day…_

            Tifa looked up at the night sky, smiling gently as she saw the full moon and the stars. She could feel the warmth of the fire she had started for the night as soon as they arrived in the forest.

Rufus's head rested on her lap as he slept peacefully. 

Tifa looked down at him and slowly raked her hands through his blonde hair. She somewhat felt a little guilty of making him sleep in the outdoors, since she recalled that Cloud was the one who kept all the money and she only had little left, and it wouldn't be enough to rent a room at an inn in Kalm.

She wondered when she could really have the guts to tell him everything… because she was sure she didn't want to lose him the way she lost Cloud…

"Maybe tomorrow will be okay… I'll wait until then…" she thought silently.

She sighed heavily as she leaned against the tree trunk behind her and closed her eyes slowly, her hand reaching out for his and holding it gently as she drifted off to sleep.

Rufus slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the fire at it slowly began to burn down the last of the firewood. He smiled slightly before closing his eyes again…

I'll wait another day… 

*** 

            After five days of traveling, they finally arrived in Nibelheim. Tifa was surprised herself that the town was in good shape. "Someone must've been fixing it…" she thought as she turned to Rufus. He was staring at the old ShinRa Mansion with wide eyes and a look of awe on his face.

Tifa followed his gaze and blinked. "Do you remember anything?" she asked.

"ShinRa Mansion…" he said blankly.

She felt her heart racing. "Yes, that's the ShinRa Mansion… what else can you remember, Rufus?" she asked.

He frowned slightly and looked down to the ground. "I am Rufus ShinRa…" he told her.

Tifa recalled the time when she was inside the mansion… it was dusty and full of monsters. She really did not have the intention to stay there, so she offered to take Rufus to her old house.

To her surprise and relief, he agreed.

Upon arriving there, she let Rufus rest in her old bedroom after changing the beddings and dusting a few of the furniture there. As he slept, she went to look for an old safe she knew her father had kept hidden in one of the places within the house. She was relieved to have found it hidden under her father's old bed. After getting enough money, she went out to do the grocery so that they would have some food to eat.

_Morning awakes me_

_I need a special plan_

This very simple task I cannot overcome 

            Rufus watched as she walked down the street going to the grocery from the window of her bedroom. He shoved his hands inside his pockets and sighed heavily. "So much for pretending to be asleep," he thought silently before slipping his hair and looking up at the skies outside, "…and pretending to have amnesia…" he said softly with a sad smile on his face.

He knew he needed a special plan to somewhat let her know…

And memories started to flood him. He could remember everything clearly, from their encounter during the time when he let her and the rest of AVALANCHE hear his new appointment speech… to the time when he told her about some execution… 

He flipped his hair again, feeling miserable. He wasn't sure if he was glad to be alive, but he could recall that the last person he thought about was her…

"The reason why she's helping me is because she feels pity for me…" he thought silently. At first he didn't really plan on continuing to pretend that he has amnesia, but he figured that if stopped acting, the doctors might not help him and she might not even care for him at all… at least, he thought, if she thinks he still can't remember anything, she'll suppose that he's just a harmless person… not the Rufus ShinRa that she had encountered before…

_Hundred of streets I've roamed_

_In search for a perfect line_

_But nothing I found good enough for a boy like you._

            That evening, after dinner, Tifa started to play the piano and sang along with it. Rufus listened as he lay on the bed, smiling secretly.

"_Like a spiral staircase, down I go losing every step. I sense an earthquake; I.L.U., Don't even know how to say it. When will it break? Today is gone but tomorrow will be okay… I'll wait another day…"_ she sang.

When she finished with the song, she still continued to play the piano (and she's playing her theme). As she did so, her gaze left the ivory keys and traveled to him. She smiled softly as she watched him breathing softly as he "slept".

_Like a spiral staircase,_

_Down I go losing every step_

_I sense an earthquake_

_I.L.U. don't even know how to say it_

_When will it break?_

_Today is gone, but tomorrow will be okay…_

*** 

I'll wait another day… 

            As they were strolling around the block a few days later, an unexpected encounter occurred. 

"Is that you, President Rufus?"

Tifa held on tight to Rufus as she recognized Reeve, Scarlet and the remaining Turks.

Rufus's frown deepened as he stared at them, then to Tifa.

She didn't know why, but she thought she had seen a pleading look in his blue eyes, as if telling her, "Don't let them come near me,"

Scarlet eyed Tifa disgustingly. "What are you doing with that filthy girl?!" she exclaimed as she pushed Tifa away from Rufus. 

I'll wait another day… 

He knew he should stop pretending, but he felt a little confused. "Maybe these jerks won't take me away from her…" he thought to himself silently as he watched her fall to the ground.

He was wrong…

I'll wait another day… 

            Tifa couldn't believe herself. Of course, she fought back against Scarlet and Reno… but she couldn't believe she let them take Rufus to the ShinRa Mansion.

Now that their President is alive, they'll bring back the "empire" that ShinRa had started…

She sighed heavily as she shed a few tears… but all she could do was just think of him as she played the piano and sang sadly, "_I'll wait another day…"_ while thinking, "Maybe he'll come back…"

I'll wait another day… 


	3. Why can I never let you go

Another Day 

By: General Quistis

**_Disclaimer_**_: I don't own anything…… the song Another Day is by a Filipino group "Mojofly"…_

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_Why can I never let you go?_

_So strange; so extraordinary…_

_Why can I never tell you so?_

I must be dumb… 

            "I should've told him when I had the chance… how much I really love him…" she thought sadly to herself as she gazed up at the starry night sky. She sighed heavily as she remembered the starry nights in the forest with him. "I guess I'm really hopeless…" she thought sadly before closing her window and started to play the piano again.

_Why can I never let this go?_

_Can't stop this fun_

_It must be done…_

            Rufus gazed up at the starry night sky from his bedroom window, pretending not to listen to Reeve's voice talking to a doctor on the telephone. "Yes, we really need you to give President Rufus some therapy sessions so that he can remember everything," 

"Kyah… tell him we'll pay him a million Gil if he can bring Rufus's memory back," Scarlet instructed.

Rufus got fed up already. It had been four months already without any word or sight of her. It made him feel lonely.

I'll wait another day… 

Rufus got up to his feet and rushed to Reeve, grabbing the receiver and putting it down, cutting the call. "Stop this foolishness, I'm perfectly normal!" he snapped impatiently.

Scarlet and Reeve stared at him in disbelief.  The former was about to say something but Rufus slapped his face angrily. "That's for harming Tifa, you bitch!" he scolded angrily before getting out.

I'll wait another day… 

She stopped playing the piano when she heard the front door closing. "Who could that be…" she thought silently as she got up and rushed outside her room.

_I'll wait another day..._

            Rufus heard her footsteps so he just decided to wait for her until she finally arrived. She gasped in disbelief and in awe. "Rufus…" she said softly.

He smiled lovingly at her as he ran to her and embraced her tightly.

I'll wait another day… 

            Waiting is over, they both realized…

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ugh… -end-


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